SSO Low-Performing School Criteria

The Georgia Private School Tax Credit Law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2A-1 through § 20-2A-7) allows student scholarship organizations (SSOs) to provide scholarships for eligible students to attend accredited private schools. House Bill 283 (2013) waived the enrollment and six-week public school attendance eligibility requirements if students would be assigned to a “low-performing school” if they attended a public school. The bill also requires the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement (GOSA) to determine a list of “low-performing schools” for this specific purpose.

For the purposes of House Bill 283, GOSA defines a “low-performing school” as a school that has a College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) score that falls at or below the 25th percentile in its grade cluster (Elementary, Middle, and High School clusters).

Based on 2016-2017 CCRPI scores, schools with the following scores are “low-performing schools” for the purposes of this law (Updated November 13, 2017):

Elementary Schools: 2016-2017 CCRPI score of 64.7 or less

Middle Schools: 2016-2017 CCRPI score of 65.0 or less

High Schools: 2016-2017 CCRPI score of 68.7 or less

To find a school's CCRPI score, go to Georgia School Reports and search for the school. On the school's page, the number below the A-F Letter Grade is the school's CCRPI score. Compare that number to the numbers above to determine if that school is considered a "low-performing school" for the purposes of SSO eligibility.

This definition of “low-performing school” is solely intended to determine eligibility for SSO scholarships. Schools operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) received CCRPI scores for the first time in 2014-2015. These schools are not included when calculating the 25th percentile.

Important Update for 2015, 2016 and 2017 CCRPI: In 2015, 2016, and 2017 the GaDOE did not issue CCRPI scores for primary schools (schools serving K-3 or less only). Instead, these schools earned an “NA.” In these cases, eligibility is determined by the CCRPI score of the elementary school (grades 3-5) where the student would attend after the primary school. The GaDOE plans to revisit the formula to adjust the measure such that primary schools can receive a score in future years.